General Horatio Gates | Battle of Camden

General Horatio Gates was the leader of  the new Continental Army in the South.  He was known as the “Hero of Saratoga,” one of the biggest patriot victories, in New York State in 1777. His second-in-command was Baron Johann DeKalb.

Gates’ opponent was Lieutenant General Charles Earl Cornwallis, who had been appointed by General Clinton to lead the Southern Campaign when Clinton returned to New York.

On August 16, 1780, General Gates' army, joined by militia men from North Carolina and Virginia, marched south toward the British outpost in Camden, South Carolina. At the same time, Cornwallis's army headed north. The cavalries clashed in a battle that became known as the Battle of Camden, the largest battle in the South up to that point

Standards

• 4-3 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the conflict between the American colonies and England.
  • Revolutions result from resistance to conditions that are perceived as unfair by the people who are demanding change. The changes brought about by revolution can be both positive and negative. To understand the results of the conflict between the Amer...
    • 4-3.3 Summarize the importance of the key battles of the Revolutionary War and the reasons for American victories including Lexington and Concord, Bunker (Breed’s) Hill, Charleston, Saratoga, Cowpens, and Yorktown.
• 8-2 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the causes of the American Revolution and the beginnings of the new nation, with an emphasis on South Carolina’s role in the development of that nation.
  • The events surrounding the American Revolution transformed British colonists into American citizens. To understand South Carolina’s pivotal role in this process, the student will utilize the knowledge and skills set forth in the following indica...
    • 8-2.1 Explain the political and economic consequences of the French and Indian War on the relationship of the South Carolina colonists with Native Americans and England.